Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson have decided to skip the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea, according to a report from Reuters (via Yahoo!).

‘Threaten to strike South Korea’

You can hardly blame an American athlete for wanting to avoid the region. North Korea’s regime under Kim Jong Un continues to threaten to strike South Korea without warning and has missiles in place ready to fire, and Kim continues to hurl venom at the United States.

‘Skip the tournament’

According to Reuters’ report, the top-ranked player in the tournament will be No. 7 Louis Oosthuizen, while other recognizable players will include South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun, British Open champion Paul Lawrie and Paul Casey. While the American pair will skip the tournament due to political unrest in the region, they also sacrifice the chance to win the $2.88 million prize for first place.

Dustin Johnson has had a very solid season, with four top-13 finishes including a win at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and a 13th-place finish at last week’s Masters. He currently ranks No. 17 in the world. Zach Johnson hasn’t been as successful, with just one top-20 finish on the year and a ranking of No. 30. He finished a disappointing 35th at the Masters. Despite the pair pulling out of the tournament, plenty of talented players will still compete.

Was pulling out of the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea a good move for both Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson? Who says ‘Yay’ and who says ‘Nay’?

Recently, the headlines have been screaming about North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear bomb tests, including its string of threats aimed at South Korea, the United States, and its allies. As each day is finished, everyone thinks that a thermo-nuclear war will soon erupt in the Korean Peninsula. So, what should the U.S. do about this?

‘Lending a helping hand’

Should the U.S. wait and see if North Korea will really fire its missiles? Should we observe if the missiles are headed for open water? Or, if not, should we gear up to take down those missiles?

Just this week, word has spread that North Korea has begun to move additional missiles and rockets into firing position. They have also been stocking up on ammunition and moving towards the DMZ. And do you know who helped move missile batteries and tank units along the North Korean border since the 1950’s? Guess who? China. Yes, this big guy has been lending a helping hand to a growing nuclear state.

‘Your move now’

So now, it is time for some action. The Obama administration has made the first few steps towards a solution to the North Korean military crisis. The U.S. has decided to reopen a missile field and deployed sea based radar to detect missile launches. We just have to deploy more ship and missile interceptors just in case Kim Jong Un decides to carry out his outrageous threats of missile attacks.

But there is one more thing that we can still do. Maybe it’s time for us to urge China to act, since this country has been enabling North Korea during its journey towards a nuclear state wannabe. If only the whole world can join hands and shout, “China, your move now!”

Is China to be blamed for the North Korean military crisis now? Do you think a nuclear war will soon erupt in the Korean Peninsula?